Thursday, March 17, 2005

FNF Election 2005 Manifesto

Families
Need Fathers, the largest charity supporting children and parents who
live apart, makes these demands: In the name of the 3.96 million
children in the UK, who live apart from one of their parents, and in
the name of their parents;

1. No child shall be denied a
full and proper relationship with both of its parents unless it has
been shown that such a relationship presents a risk to the child.

2.
Gender discrimination in social attitudes towards parenting, in policy
in relation to the family and the family 'justice' system should end.

3.
The 'winner takes all' nature of legal proceedings about children
should end. The objective should become the best blend of both parents.
Both parents should be given Residence Orders. Demeaning ‚€˜Contact
Orders‚€™ should be replaced by ‚€˜Parenting Time Orders‚€™ given to
both parents.

4. Breach of a court order to allow a child a relationship with both parents should become legally and socially unacceptable.

5.
Fathers' involvement with their children is increasing rapidly. This
should be welcomed and encouraged until it equals the care provided by
mothers.

6. No child shall be put in day care or looked after by others if parental care is available.

7.
Legal aid should cease to be available to fuel conflict between
parents. Public funding should be available only to seek child centred
and non-adversarial solutions to differences between parents.

8. ‚€˜Family friendly‚€™ entitlements should be available to both parents equally.

9.
Public money to support parenting - Child Benefit, Family Tax credits
and the like - should be shared between carers according to the care
and costs that fall on each. Child Support Agency calculations should
be changed to reflect these costs fairly.

10. Allegations of
violence and abuse should be investigated even-handedly with a
thoroughness and speed that reflects their seriousness and urgency.
Action should be taken against false or malicious allegations.

11. Parental Alienation should be recognised and dealt with.

12. Funding should cease to agencies that promote gender stereotypes.

13.
Parenting should be given more social respect. The decline in the
amount of time children spend with a parent - the cause of many of our
social problems - should be reversed with priority going to making the
contributions of the parents equal.

14. The importance of
grandparents needs recognition. They should have the right to apply
directly for court orders for the children to have time with them.

15. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child should be incorporated into British domestic law.

16.
The clause 'equality between spouses' in the European Convention on
Human Rights should be ratified by the UK and included in the Human
Rights Act.

ABOUT FAMILIES NEED FATHERS

The
largest, oldest and most respected of the bodies promoting shared
parenting. Its first priority is offering personal support to parents
excluded from the lives of their children against their will. It also
lobbies in traditional charity ways. It has a local network of
branches. It publishes leaflets and advice manuals and has other
helping services including a Telephone Helpline Associations accredited
helpline. Membership ¬£30.00 pa www.fnf.org.uk